The United States Department of Labour has named a Nigerian, Onoriode Ezewu, on the Most Wanted List over allegations of money laundering involving fraudulent unemployment benefit claims worth more than $1m.

The department’s Office of Inspector General unveiled the list on its website on Wednesday, naming 16 fugitives wanted in cases involving alleged fraud, identity theft, money laundering, labour trafficking and other offences.

According to the agency, the cases collectively involve more than $55m allegedly stolen from American taxpayers.

Ezewu’s profile on the department’s website identifies him as wanted for concealment money laundering and states that he is believed to be residing in Nigeria.

“In January 2021, Ezewu was charged with 15 counts of concealment money laundering tied to fraudulent UI and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims filed using stolen identities, in a scheme exceeding $1 million that also touched SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program.

“Following his arrest and initial appearance, Ezewu violated the conditions of his pre-trial release and an arrest warrant was issued,” the department said.

Announcing the list, the US Department of Labour’s Inspector General, Anthony P. D’Esposito, said the initiative was intended to intensify efforts to locate the fugitives and recover money allegedly stolen from taxpayers.

“Today we are introducing our first-ever Most Wanted List, targeting 16 fraudsters who stole more than $55 million from hardworking American taxpayers,” D’Esposito said.

He added that the agency was working with the White House Fraud Task Force to locate those listed and account for the money involved.

“In partnership with the White House Fraud Task Force, we are using every resource possible and will not stop until every one of these criminals is in handcuffs and every stolen dollar is accounted for. No more excuses. No more hiding. The hunt is on,” he added.

The department said the list was intended to mobilise members of the public, the media, online platforms and international partners to help locate the fugitives.

It also announced the arrest of another person on the list, Leslie Kaciban, in Hungary. Kaciban is awaiting extradition to the United States over an alleged labour racketeering scheme involving approximately `$4m in illegal kickbacks.

The department urged anyone with information about suspected wrongdoing involving its programmes or operations to contact its Office of Inspector General.

Four people have reportedly died and 16 others injured after a container truck fell on a Toyota Hiace bus on Berger Bridge along the Ibeju-Lekki Expressway in Lagos State.

According to the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the accident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, October 28, 2026, inward Eleko, after an articulated truck carrying a 20-foot container collided with the bus, registered as GME-589 ZU.

The agency said preliminary findings indicated that the truck was travelling uphill at excessive speed when it encountered the bus. The driver reportedly lost control while attempting to avoid a collision, causing the truck and its container to fall on the vehicle.

“The impact was severe and tragically resulted in the loss of four (4) adult males who were confirmed dead at the scene, while sixteen (16) other adult males sustained varying degrees of injuries,” LASEMA said.

The agency reportedly dispatched its Beta Whales Team from the Epe Base after receiving a distress call. The team worked with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Nigeria Police Force to secure the scene and assist the victims.

The injured passengers were given first aid before being transported to Epe General Hospital for further treatment.

LASEMA said a private crane had been secured to lift the overturned truck and container to enable responders to safely recover the bodies of the deceased. The recovery operation was ongoing, while traffic management measures were introduced along the affected stretch of road.

The Lagos State Government expressed its condolences to the families of the deceased and wished the injured victims a speedy recovery.

Meanwhile, in separate incidents on Wednesday, emergency responders also attended to two other road crashes in Agege and Igando.

In Agege, a truck rammed into a solar-powered streetlight pole near Vetland School, inward Pen Cinema, along Old Abeokuta Road, before mounting the road median and obstructing traffic.

LASEMA attributed the incident to reckless driving. No casualties were recorded, although the truck and streetlight pole were damaged.

The agency diverted traffic while recovery operations were carried out. Its heavy-duty recovery equipment was used to remove the truck, which was taken to Abattoir Police Station for investigation and safekeeping. The road was subsequently cleared and reopened.

In Igando, a DAF truck collided with a Toyota Corolla at Lanre Bus Stop along LASU-Igando Road.

LASEMA said preliminary information indicated that traffic had built up because of a broken-down truck on the opposite side of the road. The DAF truck was reportedly driving against traffic when it collided with the Corolla.

The crash obstructed part of the road inward Igando. The Corolla driver sustained a minor head injury and was taken to Igando General Hospital by an associate. No deaths were reported.

The Corolla was towed to Igando Police Station, while LASEMA deployed its heavy-duty recovery equipment to move the DAF truck to a lay-by and restore traffic flow. The operation was still ongoing at the time of the report.

The Lagos State Government reiterated its commitment to protecting lives and property through emergency response operations and commended LASEMA and the other agencies involved in handling the incidents.

LASEMA also advised motorists to observe speed limits, avoid driving against traffic, refrain from reckless manoeuvres and ensure their vehicles are mechanically sound before travelling. Residents were urged to report emergencies through the state’s toll-free lines.

A 40-year-old Nigerian man, Chukwuemeka Victor Amachukwu, has been jailed for eight years in the United States for his role in hacking, identity theft and multimillion-dollar fraud schemes.

Amachukwu, also known as Chukwuemeka Victor Eletuo and So Kwan Leung, was sentenced by US District Judge Paul G. Gardephe after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit computer intrusions and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

According to the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, in a statement issued on October 19,  Amachukwu and his co-conspirators targeted US tax preparation businesses, stole customers’ personal information and used the data to submit fraudulent tax returns and loan applications.

The schemes, which began in at least 2019, involved spear-phishing emails used to gain access to the electronic systems of tax preparation businesses in New York, Texas and other states.

The conspirators reportedly stole tax and identifying information belonging to customers of the targeted businesses, affecting approximately 800 customers in the identified hacking scheme.

They subsequently used stolen identities to file fraudulent tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service and state tax authorities, seeking refunds totalling about $8.4 million.

According to the prosecution. the group successfully obtained at least $2.5 million through the fraudulent tax claims.

The conspirators also exploited the US Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan programme, obtaining approximately $819,000 in fraudulent payouts.

In a separate investment fraud scheme, Amachukwu allegedly offered victims investments in purportedly valuable standby letters of credit, impersonating a wealthy overseas financier to convince them the investments were genuine.

The investments did not exist, and Amachukwu and his associates obtained more than $7 million in fraudulent proceeds, the court filings said.

US Attorney Jamie McDonald said Amachukwu had targeted victims while believing he could operate beyond the reach of American law enforcement.

“Amachukwu took part in sophisticated schemes to hack into U.S. businesses, steal and use stolen identity information of victims, and commit fraud,” McDonald said.

He added that the crimes caused significant harm to victims and the public, making a substantial prison sentence appropriate.

In addition to the eight-year prison term, Amachukwu was sentenced to one year of supervised release and ordered to pay $3.64 million in restitution and forfeit $10.84 million.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation assisted with the investigation, which was prosecuted by the Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit of the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.